This is a very good and useful book with an inadequate title. A Social History of Cuba's Protestants does not fit the definition of social history as used by most historians. Social historians focus on ordinary people and ask questions about social matters such as hierarchy, social mobility, inequality, and the like. James A. Baer's book is, instead, an example of traditional history—there is nothing wrong with that—with a focus on Protestant church leaders and religious institutions such as denominations, seminaries, and schools. While touching on most Protestant denominations, Baer focuses predominantly on Presbyterians.
The book is organized chronologically in nine chapters that cover nearly 130 years of Protestant activities in Cuba, from the first Protestant missions led by Cuban pastors in the 1890s all the way to 2018. The chapters follow a common format that includes opening sections consisting of biographical sketches of individuals central to each chapter's period....
